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Publication #EENY-062

 

Polydamas Swallowtail, Gold Rim, Tailless Swallowtail, Battus polydamas lucayus (Rothschild and Jordan) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Papilionidae: Troidini)1

Donald W. Hall and Jerry F. Butler2

Introduction

The polydamas swallowtail is one of only two United States swallowtails of the genus Battus andis, our only eastern United States swallowtail without tails.

Distribution

The polydamas (subspecies lucayus) swallowtail is a tropical species occurring in peninsular Florida, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. Occasional strays wander as far north as Missouri and Kentucky. At least 12 other subspecies occur in areas of southern Texas, throughout the Antilles, and through Central and South America to Argentina.

Description

The wingspread range is 3.9 to 4.8 cm. The upper surface of the wings is black with submarginal yellow bands. The underside of the wings is black with a submarginal row of yellow spots on the front wing and a submarginal row of wavy red lines on the hind wing. The body of the adult is black with red dots dorsally on the anterior part of the thorax and red-orange dots laterally on the thorax and coxae. An orange lateral line runs the length of the abdomen.

Figure 1. 

Dorsal view of adult polydamas swallowtail, Battus polydamas lucayus (Rothschild & Jordan).


Credit:

Jerry F. Butler, University of Florida


[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]

Figure 2. 

Lateral view of adult polydamas swallowtail, Battus polydamas lucayus (Rothschild & Jordan).


Credit:

Jerry F. Butler, University of Florida


[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]

Eggs are variable from yellow to orange or yellow-brown.

Figure 3. 

Eggs of the polydamas swallowtail - Battus polydamas lucayus (Rothschild & Jordan).


Credit:

Andrei Sourakov, Florida Museum of Natural History


[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]

Florida larvae are typically dark brown with black-tipped orange tubercles and have an orange collar.

Figure 4. 

Young larvae of the polydamas swallowtail - Battus polydamas lucayus (Rothschild & Jordan).


Credit:

Donald Hall, University of Florida


[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]

Figure 5. 

Full grown larva of polydamas swallowtail, Battus polydamas lucayus (Rothschild & Jordan).


Credit:

Jerry F. Butler, University of Florida


[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]

Pupae may be light brown with orange markings or light green with yellow markings.

Figure 6. 

Pupa of polydamas swallowtail, Battus polydamas lucayus (Rothschild & Jordan).


Credit:

Jerry F. Butler, University of Florida


[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]

Life Cycle

The polydamas swallowtail favors open woods or disturbed areas. There are many flights all year in southern Florida and southern Texas, but they are rare during the winter. Eggs are laid in small groups on stems or tips of new leaves of pipevines of the genus Aristolochia (Aristolochiales: Aristolochiaceae). Young larvae are gregarious, but become solitary as they mature. Larvae feed on leaves and flowers of the host.

The native host in southern Florida is believed to be Marsh's dutchman's pipe Aristolochia pentandra Jacq. However, a variety of exotic ornamental pipevines are cultured in the United States, and polydamas larvae commonly use them for hosts, often becoming pests by defoliating the vines and eating the flowers. Two of the most common of these exotic species are dutchman's pipe, A. macrophylla Lam. (synonyms: A. durior Hill and A. sipho L'Heritier, Stirp.), and elegant dutchman's pipe or calico flower, A. littoralis Parodi (synonym: A. elegans M.T. Mast). Larvae have also been recorded from Virginia snakeroot, A. serpentaria L., a native species that ranges from central Florida northward.

Figure 7. 

Elegant dutchman's pipevine, Aristolochia littoralis Parodi, a host of the polydamas swallowtail, Battus polydamas lucayus (Rothschild & Jordan).


Credit:

Donald Hall, University of Florida


[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]

Figure 8. 

Virginia snakeroot, Aristolochia serpentaria L., a host of the polydamas swallowtail, Battus polydamas lucayus (Rothschild & Jordan).


Credit:

Jerry F. Butler, University of Florida


[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]

The pipevines contain pharmacologically active aristolochic acids that are stored by B. polydamas and by the blue or pipevine swallowtail, Battus philenor, a close relative. Battus philenor is distasteful because of these chemicals and is believed to be the model for other dark swallowtails in a Batesian mimicry complex. Battus polydamas is believed to also be distasteful to vertebrates and also may serve as a Batesian model in some parts of its range.

Adults feed on nectar from a variety of flowers and are reported to be particularly fond of the flowers of Lantana camara Linnaeus. They are occasionally abundant on flowers in the vicinity of their host plants.

Figure 9. 

Lantana camara Linnaeus (Verbenaceae) - orange form, a host of the polydamas swallowtail, Battus polydamas lucayus (Rothschild & Jordan).


Credit:

Donald Hall, University of Florida


[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]

Figure 10. 

Lantana camara Linnaeus (Verbenaceae) - pink form, a host of the polydamas swallowtail, Battus polydamas lucayus (Rothschild & Jordan)


Credit:

Donald Hall, University of Florida


[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]

Selected References

  • Daniels JC. 2000. Butterflies 2: Butterflies of the Southeast. UF/IFAS. Card Set. SP 274.

  • Gerberg EJ, Arnett RH. 1989. Florida Butterflies. National Science Publications, Inc. Baltimore, MD.

  • Medley JC, Fasulo TR. (1998). Florida Butterfly Tutorials. http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/fasulo/pests/software/det_bfly.htm (November 1998).

  • Miller JY. 1992. The Common Names of North American Butterflies. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C.

  • Minno MC, Emmel TC. 1993. Butterflies of the Florida Keys. Scientific Publishers. Gainesville, FL.

  • Opler PA, Krizek GO. 1984. Butterflies East of the Great Plains. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, MD.

  • Scott JA. 1986. The Butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press. Stanford, CA.

  • Scriber JM, Tsubaki Y, Lederhouse RC, Eds. 1995. Swallowtail Butterflies: Their Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Scientific Publishers, Inc. Gainesville, FL.

  • Urzua A, Priestap H. 1985. Aristolochic acids from Battus polydamus. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 13: 169-170.

Footnotes

1.

This document is EENY-062 (IN219), one of a series of Featured Creatures from the Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date November 1998. Revised August 2011. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Donald W. Hall, professor, and Jerry F. Butler, professor, Entomology and Nematology Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.